Little did I know that the camisole that I've been wearing for years under my tops would come in handy in my concealed carry life. For years, I've always worn a tank top under most of my tops. I used to only do it in the winter when wearing sweaters to keep the itchy fabric from bothering my skin but then I soon started doing it with other tops. Some of my shirts are thinner in fabric and in direct sunlight can look pretty sheer so having that extra layer made me feel more comfortable. It also helps with some shirts to keep them from clinging to my body and also smooths out any areas that I might be feeling self-conscious about. When I started carrying, this base layer proved to work wonders on reducing printing. I know many women that opt to wear a camisole or tank top while carrying to add a layer behind their holster and gun because they don't like the feeling of it against their skin.

I love layering a camisole under my shirts when carrying. It works great if you are wearing a flowy top or peplum hem where your gun might get exposed if a strong gust of wind blows through. Having that layer between you and your gun adds a nice layer of security when it comes to concealment. I also love wearing a camisole under my t-shirts. The addition of a camisole adds a smooth layer over your concealed carry gun which helps to blur any hard lines that tend to be noticeable when carrying. This smooth layer also helps to prevent your top of choice from settling into the open space between your body and the gun as well as helps to prevent your top from getting caught/catching on the grip. While you might not notice it if you are doing a lot of standing or walking, you'll notice it more when you go from sitting to standing or vice-versa. Depending on your top, it can easily settle into the outline of your gun. It's a great option to help mask any printing. The same technique holds true with thinner material blouses such as silk. These also have a tendency to cling to the body especially if there is any dry static air. If you've got a camisole to cover your gun, you won't have to worry about your blouse clinging to the lines of of the gun and/or holster.

There is one thing to keep in mind if you decided to add this layer and that's drawing. If you're not used to this extra layer then you need to make sure you take time to practice your draw and how you plan to sweep both layers of clothing out of the way. Most camisoles or tank tops will be more fitted so they will require a change in how you sweep them out of the way so you can easily access your gun should you need it.

While I prefer to call these camisoles versus tank tops, you can call them whatever you want. In general tank tops have wider straps where camisoles are thin and known for having spaghetti style straps. I have two favorite brands that I love to wear - both are from shapewear companies, which can cause alarm as you might think they would be made with lots of compression and not allow easy access to your firearm but that's not the case with these two. The first is the Spanx Thinstincts Camisole. These are my all year-round go to and what I love about these is that they have minimal compression so it's not like the rest of the Spanx line that's meant to suck everything in. The material is light-weight and best of all the fabric is smooth so my tops don't stick to it. If that makes sense. I've found that cotton tanks or ones that are made using hosiery material cause my tops to get stuck on it. The other one I love is the TC Tummy Two Layer Camisole. This one is pretty awesome especially if you like having a tank as a base layer. This is a two layer tank. The inner layer is more fitted with compression and perfect if you don't want your holster and gun touching your body. The second layer is more flowy but still sits nice against the body. I think this tank is made to be worn as a top on it's own but I like it in the winter as the extra layers add an extra layer of warmth.

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